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This flaky Baked Cod with Lemon and Capers comes together in 25 minutes using a simple sear-then-bake method that guarantees tender fish every time. Garlic, fresh lemon, butter, and briny capers create a piccata-style sauce with almost no effort, weeknight Mediterranean cooking at its best.
This Baked Cod with Lemon and Capers is a 25-minute dinner that tastes like something you’d order at a Mediterranean restaurant. The cod gets a quick sear in a garlic-infused skillet before finishing in the oven, which gives you a lightly golden exterior and perfectly flaky fish every time. The sauce is bright, buttery, and briny from the capers, think chicken piccata, but with tender white fish.
I make this at least once a week at our house. It’s one of those recipes that looks impressive but only uses pantry staples: olive oil, fresh lemon, garlic, and capers. Any mild white fish works here too, halibut, haddock, or tilapia all take beautifully to this sauce.
Why This Recipe Works
• Sear before you bake. Two minutes per side in a hot skillet creates a light crust and seals in moisture before the oven finishes the job. Most basic baked cod recipes skip this step and end up with a watery, steamed result.
• Capers are the secret weapon. They add a salty, briny pop that cuts through the richness of the butter and balances the brightness of the lemon. Don’t skip them.
• 25 minutes, one pan. The skillet goes straight from stovetop to oven. Less cleanup, faster dinner.
Recipe Ingredients
These simple pantry staples are all you need. See the recipe card below for exact amounts and printable instructions.
- Cod: Cod is a fish I really enjoy for many reasons. It is light, healthy and easy to prepare. I find it to not give off a fishy smell when I cook it which is a plus.
- Lemon Sauce: The lemon sauce is my favorite part of this dish. It uses olive oil, butter, fresh garlic and fresh lemon juice. It is rich, flavorful and the perfect sauce for flaky, buttery cod.
- Capers: I don’t know about you, but I have a serious love for capers. I am a salty food girl- pickles, olives, banana peppers, you name it. I love the salty, earthy flavor that those tiny capers give to a dish.
- Parsley: I am currently growing Italian parsley in my garden and I love it. It pairs perfectly as a finishing touch on this cod recipe. Fresh herbs are always a great way to finish off your dishes!
- Spices: Today’s Baked Cod with Lemon and Capers uses sweet paprika, oregano and basil. The combination is wonderful with the sauce.
Ways to Modify This Lemon Cod Recipe
- This recipe uses butter and I know some people try to avoid that. You can substitute the butter with additional olive oil or ghee in its place. The butter just helps give the sauce a rich flavor.
- There are some great additions you could add to this dish. Some that I enjoy are artichoke hearts, olives, cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes
- Beans would be a nice addition as well. I like chickpeas or white beans.
- Serve this cod loin over pasta, like an angel hair or linguine. You could also serve it over zoodles or even rice. I like to add extra lemon zest when I serve the fish.
- Try adding a small amount of white wine to the sauce. It adds sweetness and is so nice.
- Before placing the cod in the oven you could sprinkle parmesan cheese or mozzarella cheese over the cod. Cheese makes everything better, right?
- You could sprinkle some bread crumbs or panko breadcrumbs to the fish before baking to add more a crust to the fish.
- Swap cod for halibut.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 1: Create Sauce: Place two shallow bowls on the counter. In one combine the lemon sauce ingredients: the lemon juice, 2 Tablespoons olive oil and butter. Stir until combined and set aside.
Step 2: Create Flour Mixture: In the other shallow bowl mix together the flour, paprika, oregano, basil, salt and pepper and set aside.
Step 3: Coat Cod: Pat each of the cod pieces dry and then coat both sides with the lemon sauce and then the flour mixture. Shake any excess flour mixture off of the cod and place it on a plate. Repeat for each of the cod filets.
Step 4: Cook Cod: In a large cast iron or non-stick skillet heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute or until the garlic is just fragrant. Place each cod filet in the skillet and cook on both sides for two minutes each.
Step 5: Stir in Capers & Lemon Juice: Turn the heat off, stir in the capers and the remaining lemon juice sauce and place the skillet in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cod is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, or reachers an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Garnish with Italian parsley and crusty bread.
Recipe FAQ
This recipe couldn’t be easier. I start by using a cast iron skillet on the stove to quickly sear the front and back of the cod for about 2 minutes on each side. I then transfer that skillet into a preheated oven to 400 degrees F. Cod cooks quickly and is usually done in about 9-10 minutes.
When cod is done the fish will turn opaque and will flake easily with a fork. The safe internal temperature for cooked fish is 145°F.
I like to eat my fish fresh when I cook it but sometimes that isn’t an option or you have leftovers. When it comes to reheating fish you want to make sure you do it the right way so you don’t dry it out. Place the fillets on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet, cover them with foil (to prevent the exteriors of the fish from drying out), and heat them in a 275-degree oven until they register 125 to 130 degrees, about 15 minutes for 1-inch-thick fillets (timing varies according to fillet size).
Yes, frozen cod works well here. Thaw it completely in the refrigerator overnight or under cold running water, then pat it very dry before coating. Frozen cod releases extra moisture as it thaws, so drying it thoroughly is the key step to avoid a watery sauce and get a good sear.
More Seafood Recipes
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Sheet Pan Mediterranean Cod
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Easy Baked White Fish Recipe
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Baked Cod with Lemon and Capers
Ingredients
- 4 skinless 1 1/2-inch thick cod fillets, about 6 ounces each
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 ounces of capers
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place two shallow bowls on the counter. In one combine the lemon sauce ingredients: the lemon juice, 2 Tablespoons olive oil and butter. Stir until combined and set aside.
- In the other shallow bowl mix together the flour, paprika, oregano, basil, salt and pepper and set aside.
- Pat each of the cod pieces dry and then coat both sides with the lemon sauce and then the flour mixture.
- Shake any excess flour mixture off of the cod and place it on a plate. Repeat for each of the cod filets.
- In a large cast iron or non-stick skillet heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute or until the garlic is just fragrant.
- Place each cod filet in the skillet and cook on both sides for two minutes each.
- Turn the heat off, stir in the capers and the remaining lemon juice sauce and place the skillet in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cod is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, or reachers an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Garnish with Italian parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
- Store leftovers in a glass tupperware container after cooled. It will hold up for about 2 to 3 days.
- To reheat the cod: To reheat thicker fish fillets: Place the fillets on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet, cover them with foil and heat them in a 275-degree oven until they register 125 to 130 degrees, about 15 minutes for 1-inch-thick fillets (timing varies according to fillet size).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thank you for sharing this recipe
You are welcome! I hope you liked it
Resubmitting this as not sure what happened to the first review a minute ago. We LOVED this recipe! I was so impressed that it came out flavorful and moist. The seasonings of the flour dredge and the capers and lemon, perfect. The oven finish made timing rest of meal easy. Definitely a keeper.
I am so glad to hear that! This is one we make a lot too!
Absolutely loved this!!
Only had 1/2 c of capers, but worked nicely. Very lucky, as I can get fresh fish (black cod & rock fish) off the local boats, and this is a true keeper
I am so glad you enjoyed it!
I love your recipes! I have made this recipe numerous times and it is always perfect. I am having difficulty printing, though. The ads are blocking the content.
thank you for letting me know! Quick question- are you doing the print button on the recipe and just printing the recipe or are you trying to print the entire blog post and recipe?
@Kathy, I just “copy and paste” into my personal recipe files and I’ve never had any problems. Hope this helps you.
This recipe is to “Die For”, thank you Julia for sharing.
your welcome!
This was a culinary stretch for me but I did not join this group for simple tastes. I grew up on English fish and chips so I love cod already. This recipe was actually easy to make, no breading, etc, and was moist and delicious. I am happily starting my new Mediterranean eating style, thanks!
I am so glad you tried it and enjoyed it! I think the flavors go really well together.
This recipe is not clear as to the division of olive oil (cups vs. tablespoons) and the directions for sautéing the garlic result in burned garlic.
In the directions of the recipe it says the following for how to divide the olive oil and for garlic you always want to watch it and saute just it is starting to get fragrant. If you over cook it, it will burn.
Place two shallow bowls on the counter. In one combine the lemon sauce ingredients: the lemon juice, 2 Tablespoons olive oil and butter. Stir until comined and set aside.
In the other shallow bowl mix together the flour, paprika, oregano, basil, salt and pepper and set aside.
Pat each of the cod pieces dry and then coat both sides with the lemon sauce and then the flour mixture. Shake any excess flour mixture off of the cod and place it on a plate. Repeat for each of the cod filets.
In a large cast iron or non-stick skillet heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
Look good! I am eager to try my new Air Fryer (bought today). How would I adjust these cooking instructions?
Yes you could make cod in the air fryer! Cook cod in the air fryer at 400 °F for 10-13 minutes, depending on the size of fillets. The internal temperature should reach 145 °F. Let me know how it goes!
I made this with whiting last night and served it alongside your Cucumber Tomato Salad recipe. I was a bit nervous to do it with a cast-iron skillet but it came out perfectly on the first try. Both were delicious, the whole family loved it and there were zero leftovers! I just discovered your site and I’m an instant fan. Thanks, Julia!
Thank you for sharing! I am so glad you liked it. We love this cod recipe- the lemon and the cod work so nicely together. Let me know if you need any suggestions on additional recipes worth trying. Thanks!
Garlic is on ingredient list but not in directions.
Sorry! I added it into the directions.
Made this recipe with the Black Cod we received from Sitka Salomon Shares. The recipe was great. The fish had a lot of flavor and was flaky and delicious. Thanks for your great ideas and photography.
I am so glad you liked it! Their cod really is so fresh. I loved the lemon and capers with the light fish!